


3 A.M.

by merildis



Category: Tales of the Abyss
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Developing Relationship, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Office Sex, Oral Sex, Pre-Canon, Resolved Sexual Tension, like 12 years pre-canon actually
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 03:33:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4085113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merildis/pseuds/merildis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nearly four years had passed now since Jade’s research had ended, and almost a year and a half since his promotion, and yet part of him still wasn’t used to Grand Chokma, to the silence that fell heavy instead of lingering, or to having an office to himself. As much as he enjoyed the solitude, he still found himself turning now and then to ask Saphir a question, or scrawling fonic glyphs absentmindedly in the margins of his papers. It was odd, he realized, living with things that hurt too much to remember but were impossible to let go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	3 A.M.

**Author's Note:**

> This is set around twelve years before the game, so I took a few liberties with characterization based on what we know from the spin-off manga about Jade's behavior in his younger years. This was really my first serious attempt at writing for TotA (and my first smutty fic in quite a while whoops), but I had a lot of fun with it!

Quiet fell heavy on Grand Chokma. It wasn’t like the research facility Jade had spent six years in, where the quiet always lingered in every corner and clung to the walls like a constant film; Grand Chokma was a city that bustled with life and light in the day, but fell still and quiet with the night – silent but for the waterfalls that always crashed and rolled. But here in his office, Jade was too far from the outside to hear the rush of water, and instead only the sound of his pen across the page broke the silence. Most everyone else had trickled out of the headquarters one by one already and left the hallways empty of voices and footsteps alike. Nearly four years had passed now since Jade’s research had ended, and almost a year and a half since his promotion, and yet part of him still wasn’t used to Grand Chokma, to the silence that fell heavy instead of lingering, or to having an office to himself. As much as he enjoyed the solitude, he still found himself turning now and then to ask Saphir a question, or scrawling fonic glyphs absentmindedly in the margins of his papers. It was odd, he realized, living with things that hurt too much to remember but were impossible to let go.

              “Jade,” the door swung open and a warm voice called his name across the room. Jade looked up to find Peony in the doorway, eyes bright and blonde hair falling in a messy halo to his shoulders. Sometimes when Jade looked at him, he could still see the wild prince in his gilded Keterburg cage, a warm patch of sunlight in the frozen world; could still see him at sixteen dragging Jade across the palace grounds over his summer holiday, all bright mirth and golden skin. And yet the last four years had changed them both. Jade was learning, slowly, how to forget who he had once been, and was looking at what would likely be a military career worthy of the Curtiss name. And the prince who stood before him now was more man than boy, and Jade knew that with his father’s failing health, Peony would likely be emperor before he was twenty-five.

              The prince in question had grown tired of waiting for an invitation and was now positioning himself precariously on the corner of Jade’s desk, tearing him from his observations. “What are you working on this late?”

              “Well, I _was_ working on a report before you so _rudely_ interrupted me,” Jade scowled in Peony’s direction, but his anger had no teeth. “Your Highness,” he drawled sarcastically, almost as an afterthought.

              Peony leaned over to look more closely and Jade scarcely managed to rescue his teacup from Peony’s destructive path. He read a few lines, and then scowled. “You work too much,” he stated matter-of-factly.

              Jade stiffened slightly, eyes going flat in the low light of the fonstone lamp. “I have a lot of work to do,” he said, tone curt and drawn in an echo of who he has been when he first arrived in Grand Chokma those years ago. Some part of him prayed it would be enough for Peony to drop the subject and move on, but the silence that fell again felt now like the calm before the storm. The stared each other down unblinking, red eyes against blue in a silent war they had been fighting for four years now.

              “Really, Jade,” said Peony after a moment that had stretched too far, “It’s almost three A.M. on a Friday night. You should be sleeping. Or at least, not cooped up in here.” Some detached, clinical part of Jade’s mind made note that Peony always seemed to look older when he was serious, dragging memories to the surface that would have been better left untouched; the feeling of blood dripping from his hair, his fingers, his lab coat, while Peony pinned him to the wall; the sound of his voice pounding in his ears- _“How many times will you kill Nebilim before you realize she’s never coming back?!”_

              Just like before, Jade stayed silent now, turning his eyes back to the page in front of him and adjusting his glasses. When Peony didn’t move, Jade spoke without looking up. “If you’re quite done, Your Highness, I have work to do.”

              Peony’s voice was stern. “No, I’m not done.” Jade froze, the nib of the pen he had just picked up digging into the page, but stayed quiet with eyes downcast. “Jade, look at me.” He met his eyes finally, but his face stayed flat, unreadable. Peony sighed and ran a hand back through his blonde hair. “Jade, it’s been four years. You don’t have to keep isolating yourself.”

              “I don’t-“

              “Yes, you do.” Peony stood, voice raising in volume with every word. “You’re always in here working, you don’t talk to anyone outside of work but me and that’s only because I make you!” Words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them. “You barely sleep, you hardly ever even go home, and-“

              “What do you want me to say?” Jade was on his feet now. “I’m sorry? Is that it?” his voice shook in a rare lapse in control. “Then fine. I’m sorry that I can’t-“

              “No!” Peony took a step closer, closing the distance between them without realizing it. “I don’t want you to apologize, I just…” The voice that had filled the room moments ago was small and frail now, all the anger drained from him and replaced with something quiet, tentative. “I just worry about you.” He looked down, suddenly unable to hold Jade’s gaze. His eyes flicked toward Jade’s lips for half a second, then fell away, almost sheepish in his refusal to meet Jade’s eyes now that they stood so close.

              Jade was quiet now, too, hyper-aware of the space between them - or lack thereof. He let out a slow breath through his nose before he spoke. “You don’t have to worry about me,” he murmured, even as his breath caught in his throat. This was a different kind of battle now, but just as familiar. They’d been doing _this_ song and dance for a while now too, always coming closer, closer, and then breaking away again all at once. Jade knew this moment that hung in the air now was as fragile as glass, barely daring to breathe in the silence. Peony met his eyes again and bit his lip. Jade stood unmoving, and the room suddenly felt far too hot. Peony took one more small step forward, a quick, hesitant movement, until his bare toes nearly met Jade’s boots. Jade could feel Peony’s breath mingling with his own now, could feel his heart beating far too hard in his chest. Blue eyes bored into his own, the tip of Peony’s tongue darting out to swipe over his bottom lip. And then suddenly, without warning, Peony took it upon himself to shatter the moment once and for all; he leaned forward, fisted his hand in the front of Jade’s coat, and caught his lips in a kiss.

              It was the invitation Jade had been waiting for. His hand came up immediately to tangle in the hair at the nape of Peony’s neck, the other snaking around his waist and pulling him closer until he was forced to let go of Jade’s coat and instead twine his arms around his neck. Jade nipped hard at the prince’s lower lip and earned a soft moan before he broke away. Peony laughed breathlessly, but Jade went still again, the high of the moment fading and leaving a painful truth in its wake.

              “I’m not Nephry,” Jade said, a quiet warning.

              Peony was suddenly serious again and Jade wondered if he was about to get yet another lecture. But it didn’t come; instead he brought up one hand to trace the line of Jade’s jaw. “I know that,” he said, eyes shining in the dull light. “I don’t want you to be.”

              Jade was almost surprised to hear it; some part of him had been sure the tension of the last four years had been the product of Peony’s youthful infatuation with the sister Jade had left in Keterburg, but it seemed he was wrong. No matter the reason, Jade was the one who leaned forward to kiss him now, this time harder than the first. His fingers coiled tight enough in Peony’s hair to hurt, teeth digging into his bottom lip. Peony gasped and Jade took the chance to slip his tongue into the other’s mouth, claiming every inch. He tasted of spice, of summer warmth and sunlight, and it was nearly enough to make Jade weak in the knees. He had waited far too long for this, he decided.

              Peony was gasping for air when he pulled back, and Jade laughed, a low rumble that Peony felt more than heard as Jade dipped his head to press his lips to Peony’s neck. He pushed him back against the desk, the hesitation of before evaporated in an instant as Peony yielded to his every touch, scrambling to seat himself on the desk without breaking contact. Jade’s empty teacup rolled to the floor with a quiet thump, and neither moved to pick it up, even as a stack of papers drifted down to join it. Jade was nearly predatory now in his ferocity; Peony was willing, and Jade was tired of holding back. He trailed kisses and nips across Peony’s collarbone and earned himself a series of soft whimpers and quiet moans. Peony fisted his hand in Jade’s hair and let his own head loll back, exposing the soft column of his neck. Jade’s fingers slipped under the hem of Peony’s silk shirt and he dragged his nails lightly up the prince’s sides, sending a chill up his spine. They disentangled themselves long enough for Jade to drag Peony’s shirt over his head, and Peony took this opportunity to begin working on the buttons on the front of Jade’s coat. “These uniforms have too many layers,” he muttered as he finally pushed the coat from Jade’s shoulders only to begin working on his undershirt.

              “Didn’t you design them, Your Highness?” Jade asked as he batted Peony’s hands away playfully and pulled his undershirt off himself.

              If Peony had been planning a witty reply, the words died on his lips. Jade realized belatedly that Peony had never properly seen the aftermath of the incident those years before; the scar wasn’t bad, exactly, just a swathe of pink skin across his chest that looked more liked it had been a minor burn than a life-threatening injury thanks to swift and skilled healers, but it ran in a jagged line that showed quite clearly where the fonic energy had overflowed. Peony reached out gingerly to run his fingers across it anyway, careful and gentle. He tilted his head as he traced the ragged edges with his fingertips, expression too soft, too open.  He leaned forward to press a feather-light kiss to the center of Jade’s chest before slowly moving up until his lips found the hollow where his neck met his collarbone.

              This time, it was Jade’s turn to moan as Peony left a burning trail of kisses up his neck, earning an unexpected whimper when he nibbled at Jade’s earlobe. His conquest, however, was short lived as Jade’s hands slid deeper, coming down to cup him through his trousers. Peony gasped and thrust up without thinking and Jade laughed, though the sound was more strained now than before. “Eager then, Your Highness?” he teased, but his voice was breathless even as Peony bucked into his hand.

              “Please,” Peony whined, nails scraping against Jade’s back and leaving thin scratches in their wake.

              Jade chuckled darkly, the noise reverberating in his chest and sending sharp pangs of want through Peony’s stomach. He hooked his fingers under the waistband of Peony’s pants and slid them off, tossing them into the small pile of clothing that was forming on the floor. Jade stroked him slowly, and Peony’s voice rose in a series of broken noises and hissed curses he barely recognized as his own. Jade left one last kiss on his collarbone before he dropped gracefully to his knees.

              He looked teasingly up at Peony through lowered lashes before peppering kisses along his inner thighs, breath ghosting over his length but never coming any closer. “Fuck,” the prince hissed and his hand flew up immediately to muffle his own noises as Jade finally licked a long, lazy stripe up his length. Peony leaned back onto his elbows, heedless of the papers trapped beneath him, moaning quietly into his hand. The colonel continued his languid strokes, relishing in the way he trembled beneath him and coaxing noises from him despite his attempts to keep quiet. With frustrating slowness, he took Peony into his mouth inch by inch until his nose was pressed to the coarse blonde curls at its base.

              “Fuck, Jade, that’s…” The prince’s voice fell into a keening whine as Jade hummed low in his throat, the sound sending vibrations up his spine that erupted like fireworks behind his eyelids. “Jade!” Peony gasped breathlessly, back arching up even as his head fell back, eyes screwed shut. “Jadejadejade, fuck, _please_!” his voice came frantic, the words rushing out before he could muffle them. He bit his lip hard even as Jade pulled away with a soft _pop,_ laughing as he stood; the image of the once-proud prince splayed out and begging on his desk was nearly as amusing as it was arousing.

“’Please’ what, Your Highness?” He asked, voice low and husky in Peony’s ear as he leaned over him. “You’ll have to ask a bit more clearly than that, I’m afraid.” Jade nipped playfully at his ear, voice dripping like honey but the words undeniably a command. Peony gave one last moment of feeble resistance, weighing his pride against his need, blue eyes flashing defiant even as Jade’s hand rested against his throat.

              “Please fuck me, Jade,” Peony murmured finally and without another moment Jade fell upon his lips, claiming them in a hungry kiss. Jade knew Peony could taste himself on his tongue and didn’t fail to notice how much more desperate that made him. Jade ended the kiss with one last nip to his bottom lip before he pulled back. With one hand he freed himself from his pants and the other he offered to Peony, who raised a confused eyebrow. “Well,” Jade drawled in response, “if you’d rather me take you unprepared, then…” Peony took Jade’s fingers into his mouth without another word. His’s enthusiasm alone was nearly enough to make Jade weak in the knees. Deciding it was probably sufficient, Jade removed his fingers and instead positioned them against Peony’s entrance. “Have you done this before?” He asked nonchalantly.

              Peony nodded, then gasped as he felt the first finger enter him. “Y-yeah,” his voice shook. “Once or – fuck” another finger, “or twice.” Jade stretched him carefully, adding a third finger and working slowly until he was satisfied. Peony writhed beneath him, moaning softly as Jade stroked him in time with his fingers, leaning down to leave a hot trail of burning, open mouthed kisses alone the prince’s collarbone.

              “Please,” Peony whined. “Just do it.”

              Jade wasn’t going to argue. He positioned himself against his entrance and sank in with a shuddering groan before going still. Peony’s face twisted in pain and Jade leaned down to soothe him with gentle kisses, staying still until Peony arched his back slightly. “Are you alright?” Jade asked, waiting for Peony to nod before beginning to move. It was Jade’s turn now to curse, a string of less-than-seemly words falling from his lips. He leaned forward, hands splayed on the desk on either side of Peony’s head, eyes closed as his hair fell around them like a curtain. Peony wrapped his arms around his shoulders, nails digging into pale flesh deep enough to leave thin half-moons in their wake. He thrust his hips up with a whine, desperate for friction, for release.

              “Jade,” the sound of Peony moaning his name into his ear, voice thick with need, made Jade shudder, bringing back memories of fantasies that had played in his mind more times than he would like to admit. He pushed himself upright again and wrapped his newly-freed hand around Peony’s length, earning a hissed curse and an arched back.

              They moved together, pale hands across golden skin, hungry, hot kisses between moans. Jade could feel himself slipping, losing all logic, all reason in the heat the spread through his veins. His thrusts turned erratic, kisses sloppy. Peony writhed beneath him, Jade’s name on his lips like a mantra as he bucked up to meet every thrust. “Jade,” he gasped, “fuck, Jade, I’m-“ Peony’s voice was lost in a cry as Jade’ strokes sped up. With one last moan, Peony found release, Jade following with a shuddering groan a moment later.

              Jade fell back into his chair, retrieving his glasses from the edge of the desk and pushing sweat-damp hair from his face before replacing them. He turned his attention then to Peony, feeling an uncertainty beginning to coil in his belly that gave him pause. He stared at Peony and waited for him to speak, to say anything at all, his mind moving far too fast to analyze everything all the while. Peony dragged his hand through his hair and stared at Jade in a silence that was almost surprised as reality set back in. He scratched the back of his head and offered a sheepish grin. “I guess this is the part where I tell you I’ve been in love with you for four years, huh?”

              Jade raised an eyebrow, surprise flashing across his face for half a second before he was suddenly unreadable, tapping his fingers against his leg in a steady rhythm out of nervous habit. He counted each tap in his head to quiet sudden whirl and repressed the sudden impulse to start reorganizing his desk with Peony was still on it that surged up amidst the chaos. His eyes stayed trained on Peony’s, still waiting for _something_. Some part of his intuition told Jade to believe his words – whether that was guided by his own desires, Jade wasn’t entirely sure – but he wasn’t going to believe on speculation. He needed facts, clean-cut and laid bare. He needed to hear him say it outright.

              Peony suddenly found himself unable to meet that cold gaze again, eyes falling anywhere else; the bookshelf in the corner, the certificates that hung behind Jade on the wall. Jade watched as he fumbled like a love-struck teenager, catching his lip between his teeth. “That’s,” he finally forced himself to look back to Jade and swallow the lump in his throat. “That’s not a joke, you know.” Nervous laughter bubbled up in his chest until it overflowed and tumbled like the waterfalls in the city outside.

              Jade felt his chest tighten, his breath catching in his throat even as he sat perfectly still. This was not an entirely unexpected outcome, and his own reaction managed to surprise him. He felt his pulse quicken and a million questions fire in his brain all at oncedespite the fact that he should have been entirely prepared for the eventuality that Peony wasn’t joking at all; but understanding his own feelings had always been as much a battle as understanding anyone else’s – it was hard to fit these things into the neat little boxes his mind demanded of him. He cursed himself silently, cursed the words that often came so easily failing him now, cursed the way his hands shook and his throat went dry, cursed his mind that demanded answers he couldn’t give.

              And so in the end, it wasn’t his overly-critical mind that made the decision. Perhaps he wasn’t entirely sure _what_ he felt, but for once he decided to trust the intuition that told him it was enough and pitched forward, grabbed Peony by the wrist, and yanked him down into a kiss. Peony laughed again as they pulled away, breathless and giddy. “So, does that mean we’re on the same page here?”

              Jade smiled, a shade lighter than his usual teasing grin, forehead still pressed to Peony’s and hand still wrapped around his wrist. “More or less.”

              Quiet fell heavy on Grand Chokma, but in the last occupied office of the darkened military barracks, the colonel and his prince talked until the dawn touched the horizon and the city awoke once more. 


End file.
